Introduction The shrinking city awakens: perceptions and strategies on the way to revitalisation?

摘要

The shrinking city phenomenon is a multidimensional process, comprising cities, parts of cities or metropolitan areas that have experienced dramatic decline in their economic and social base. Shrinking cities can be defined as 'urban areas that have experienced population loss, economic downturn, employment decline and social problems as symptoms of a structural crisis' (Martinez-Fernandez et al., 2012, 213). Urban decline and the loss of employment opportunities are closely linked in a downwards spiral, leading to an out-migration of population (Pallagst, 2008).